Trends in engineering and construction jobs

In the last 5 years, technology has sparked big changes in construction and engineering. What does this mean for construction jobs and engineering jobs in Australia?

New systems for cross-border communication

With cloud-based management systems, projects can be worked on virtually from anywhere – with designers, engineers & project managers in cities all over the world. This allows a whole new level of flexibility as workers collaborate internationally, and explore career paths overseas for roles that have traditionally been geo-limited.

Cloud-based project management

Some Australian jobs are going offshore, with qualified workers in countries like the Philippines, Vietnam and India delivering competitive value. But at the same time, we’re seeing new opportunities open up for Australian workers locally in Australia, to work on projects elsewhere around the world.

Managers can now allocate resources more effectively, distributing overflow work amongst workers in overseas offices – within the same company. This opens up opportunities for design professionals in the local market.

What does this mean for workers?

Employers are tending to hire the same workers from contract to contract, as they are familiar with internal systems to seamlessly integrate in and out of projects to accommodate workload.

Digitisation within the industry, and dependence on computers and evolving technologies, means that less tech-savvy workers have fewer opportunities. These workers are finding it harder to keep up with new platforms and technologies, creating a skills gap.

These are just some of the issues we hear about daily in conversations within the industry. As cloud-based platforms continue to evolve, new trends will continue to emerge – trends that will continue to impact the job market here in Australia.